Andrew Riis’ Three Levels of Life
My friend Andrew has done many things. He kicked off a podcast (no scratch that, a movement) that connects strangers. He also talks about The Three Levels of Life. Picture this. A girl is born into a plantation as a slave. She is never chained, or held back. But all she does is follow the rules, because that’s all she’s ever been told to do. Even though there is nothing physically stopping her, she has been hardwired to follow the rules. As such she never leaves the plantation. This is the first level: Following the rules you've been given. No matter how crazy they
‘Simplicity is the end result of long, hard work, not the starting point’
- Frederick Maitland In the 1990’s, Apple was a sinking ship. In 1985 Steve Jobs, the famous entrepreneur and co-founder of Apple had been famously removed, but in 1996, the visionary was brought back. Jobs led a Normandy-size rescue campaign and brought Apple back from the brink of disaster. How did he do it? There were of course many factors, but one which cannot be overlooked was a particular principle, a principle that was just as present in Jobs’ everyday life as it was in the salvation of Apple. Simplicity You’ve heard the tales before, no doubt - Jobs’ apartment was so basic and minimalist
The Intentional Sharing Movement – Let’s share things worth sharing
We need sharing that is done more intentionally. Connectors Some people are connectors. Connectors see two great things and bring them together. Connectors think of you when they read, listen to, or see something that you would love, that you would get use from. They introduce you to special people, special opportuntiies, and special things. Our world lacks connection. Our world needs more connectors… and, what’s important to know, connection is a positive sum game. The rising tide lifts all boats. If you don’t have a connector in your life you’re missing out. If you’re not acting as a connector yourself, you, and those around you,
Stop obsessing over who owns the IDEA
People rush to say ‘make sure you don’t give away your idea’ or, ‘how can you prevent people from stealing it’? Obviously this makes sense. In an economy and style of living stimulated by competitive forces, this protection and secrecy approach becomes essential practice. It’s why every starry-eyed entrepreneur who walks into an investor pitch is talking about their high-end vision, but why the investors’ first question always is, ‘do you have a patent on this?’. This is our system — to attract capital, inventors and creators need to provide investors with stability. But the investment game is not perfect, and neither is our formula for